Milwaukee Pierhead Lighthouse, Milwaukee Harbor

Milwaukee Pierhead Lighthouse Milwaukee Harbor

   The Milwaukee Pierhead Lighthouse is  still active.  It is located south of downtown Milwaukee. It is west of the Milwaukee Breakwater Light. It is near the outflow of the Milwaukee River.

   The Pierhead Lighthouse was built in 1872.  Its foundation is is concrete pier.  It is a round steel tower 41 feet in height.. It has a round gallery and a 10 sided lantern.  For years, the lighthouse was manned by  a keeper.  It is now automated.

     The tower was repainted in 2007.

    It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on November, 2012.

Winter Haven, Florida Railroad Station

The Winter Haven Railroad Station is located at 1800 7th Street S.W.  It was built in 1925  by.the Seaboard Airline Railroad.   The building style was Mediterranean Revival.

Winter Haven, Florida Amtrak RR Station

Station Sign

Railroad to Winter Haven Florida Railroad Station

Winter Haven Florida Loading Platform

Winter Haven Florida Loading Platform

Loading Platform

Loading Platform

Winter Haven, Florida Amtrak Station

Same as above

Winter Haven, Florida Amtrak Railroad Station

Winter Haven, Florida Amtrak Railroad Station Thanks Bruce Wiseman

Same as above

Baggage Room

Same as above

Winter Haven, Florida Amtrak Station Loading Platform Thanks Bruce Wiseman

   It originally included a freight depot on the south side of the station.  This was demolished in 1982.  The total station was rebuilt in 1947.   It is a one story stucco building.  It was remodeled in 2007. Cost was $42,000.

Saint Lucie County Courthouse Built in 1909

Picture Old Saint Lucie County Courthouse Built in 1909 photo Courtesy of Saint Lucie County Regional History Center

    The Saint Lucie County courthouse was located on south Second Street in Fort Pierce, Florida.  It was built in 1909. This is the site of the current courthouse.   The site on which the courthouse was located was donated by Fort Pierce. The old courthouse was a two story building measuring 60 x 90 feet.  It had a dome of 78 feet  There was a four faced clock in the dome and a 700 pound bell.  The outside walls were pressed red brick and black mortar.  The roof was slate and iron.

Postcard Saint Lucie County Courthouse   Note the 78 foot dome

     The first floor had multiple offices.  The second floor was dominated by  large court room.

Picture Old Saint Lucie County Courthouse  Note the 78 foot dome

     The building contractor was Mutual Construction Company of Louisville, Kentucky.   The architect was Mr. HI Kloop.  The cost of the building and furnishing was $40,000.  After storm damage in 1928, the dome was removed.

McKee Botanical Gardens Vero Beach, Florida

Entrance Botanical Gardens

    McKee Botanical Gardens is located on 350 US Highway 1, Vero Beach, Florida. It is a non for profit cultural organization.

Scene from botanical Gardens

       Originally the 80 acre property was purchased in 1922 by Arthur McKee and Waldo Sexton. It was intended for citrus farming.  However, they decided it should be used for a botanical garden. They hired a tropical landscape architect to develop the park.It opened in 1932.  It featured trails, ponds and streams. In the 1940s, it averaged 100,000 visitors per year.  During the 1970’s, attendance dropped .  The botanical.garden closed. The property was sold to a developer.

Bridge Botanical Gardens

     18 of the original acres were saved and converted into a smaller park.  The park features Royal Palm Grove, giant mushroom, bamboo trail, live oak trail, Children’s garden, Wall of Giants (Walls Section structure with a large mahogany table)

     On January 7, 1998, the park was listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Pond Botanical Gardens

Waterfall Botanical Gardens

Pond Botanical Gardens

Plaque

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Hall of Giants Building

Hall of Giants

Hall of Giants Large Mahogany Table

US Naval Amphibious Training Base Fort Pierce, Florida

History of Naval Amphibious Training Base  Courtesy Saint Lucie County Regional History Center

     The history of the US Naval Base Amphibious Base, Fort Pierce, Florida began on January 26, 1943 with the arrival of the Commanding Officer Captain Clarence Gulbranson in Fort Pierce, Florida.

     On January 14, 1943  a hand picked group of 6 officers and 75 enlisted men were ordered to the Fort Pierce area.  They arrived on January 17th. They were housed at the new Fort Pierce Hotel.  They spent the next 6 days clearing the land and erecting 90 tents south of the Fort Pierce Inlet on South Hutchinson Island.  From these humble origins, the Amphibious Base began.  It was 19,280 acres and extended 25 miles from near Vero Beach to Jensen Beach including North Hutchinson Island and South Hutchinson Island. Over the next 3 years, 140,000 army, navy, army airforce, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard Troops would participate in amphibious training for landings at multiple land sea sites, the largest of which would be Normandy, France.

History of Naval Amphibious Training Base Fort Pierce courtesy Saint Lucie County Regional History Center

Air view of a portion of the base

Entrance Gate to Base

Bob Mason Park, LaBelle, Florida

Signage Bob Mason Park

     Bob Mason Park is located in LaBelle, Florida.  It is near the intersection of Old County Road 78 and Bridge Street. It was founded in 1998.  It was expanded in 2008 with funds from the Florida Recreation Assistance Program.

Fishing Dock View of Caloosahatchee River

     It is located adjacent to the Caloosahatchee River.  It has oak, water oak, and Southern oak trees.  There are docks, playground, pavilion and a grill.  It was upgraded in 2018 by adding gazebos, grills, picnic tables, and extended parking.

Picnic Shelter View of the Caloosahatchee River

Picnic Table

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Paths Bob Mason Park

PP Cobb Building, Fort Pierce, Florida

Model PP Cobb Building from Saint Lucie County Regional History Center

     The PP Cobb Building is located at 100 Avenue A.  Fort Pierce, Florida.  The original building at this site was erected in 1882. It was built by the Hogg family . It was a trading post.  It was run by Annie Hogg while her husband worked as Captain of a trading ship.

Picture PP Cobb Building Photo Courtesy of Saint Lucie County Regional History Center

     In 1885, the building was sold to an oyster canning plant. The business operated from 1885 to 1896.  In 1896,  Peter Cobb bought the building.

PP Cobb General Merchandising. Photo Courtesy of Saint Lucie County Regional History Center

     Cobb opened a general.store at the site.   He featured a wide variety of goods. Over the years, Cobb added to the building and the inventory.  The store was a meeting place, a post office and a non official bank. The store closed in 1915.

     He then opened a clothing store.  He retired in 1932.

Information Courtesy of Saint Lucie County Regional History Center

Building Plaque PP Cobb Building